Motor gear systems for cameras

Abstract

Gear drive systems used with a camera comprise a housing with an electric drive gear disposed outside of the housing. A host gear is engaged with the drive gear and is rotatably disposed on a stationary shaft extending from the housing. An adapter is attached to the host gear and extends axially outwardly therefrom. A secondary gear is attached to the adapter and comprises a plurality of teeth disposed along an outside diameter. The secondary gear is releasably attached to the adapter by retaining elements and is fixed rotatably to the adapter by registration elements. The secondary gear is attached to the adapter by a push on snap-fit, and is removed from the adapter by being pulled off, thereby avoiding the need for tools to interchange a secondary gear having a desired configuration of teeth to engage a camera optical adjustment element such as a lens ring.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A gear change system for use with a drive for a camera lens, the lens drive being independent of a camera comprising the camera lens, the lens drive comprising a housing with drive gear extending therefrom, and a host gear engaged with the drive gear, the gear change system comprising:
 an adapter attached with the host gear to rotate in unison with the host gear; and   a secondary gear attached to the adapter by one or more retaining elements configured to enable attachment and detachment of the secondary gear with the adaptor by axial movement of the secondary gear relative to the adaptor.   
     
     
         22 . The gear change system of  claim 21 , wherein the secondary gear rotates in unison with the adaptor when attached therewith. 
     
     
         23 . The gear change system of  claim 21 , wherein one of the adaptor or the secondary gear comprises the one or more retaining elements and the other of the adaptor or the secondary gear comprises a surface feature configured to engage the one or more retaining elements. 
     
     
         24 . The gear change system of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more retaining elements are spring biased to retract and extend to engage the surface feature. 
     
     
         25 . The gear change system of  claim 21 , wherein the adaptor is attached to an axial end of the host gear opposite disposed outwardly away from the housing. 
     
     
         26 . The gear change system of  claim 21 , wherein the adaptor comprises the one or more retaining elements, and wherein the one or more retaining elements are disposed along an outside diameter of the adaptor. 
     
     
         27 . The gear change system of  claim 26 , wherein the secondary gear comprises the surface feature that is located along an inside diameter of the secondary gear. 
     
     
         28 . The gear change system of  claim 21 , wherein the secondary gear is configured to engage with a ring gear of the camera lens. 
     
     
         29 . The gear change system of  claim 21 , comprising more than one secondary gears that are configured to attached with the adaptor, wherein the secondary gears each have a different number of gear teeth. 
     
     
         30 . A gear change system used with a drive system for a camera lens, the drive system comprising a motor driven drive gear engaged with a host gear, the gear change system comprising:
 an adaptor that is attached with an axial end of the host gear; and   a secondary gear removably connected with the adaptor by a snap-fit mechanism, the secondary gear comprising gear teeth configured to engage gear teeth of a ring gear of the camera lens.   
     
     
         31 . The gear change system of  claim 30 , wherein the snap-fit mechanism comprises an element of the adaptor that engages with an element of the secondary gear. 
     
     
         32 . The gear change system of  claim 31 , wherein one of the elements is a retaining element, and the other of the element is a surface feature configured to enable engagement with the retaining element. 
     
     
         33 . The gear change system of  claim 32 , wherein the adaptor comprises the retaining element and the secondary gear comprises the surface feature. 
     
     
         34 . The gear change system of  claim 33 , wherein the retaining element is located along an outside diameter of the adaptor to project radially therefrom. 
     
     
         35 . The gear change system of  claim 34 , wherein the surface feature is located along an inside diameter of the secondary gear. 
     
     
         36 . The gear change system of  claim 30 , wherein the snap-fit mechanism is configured to provide attachment by axially combining the adaptor and secondary gear together. 
     
     
         37 . The gear change system of  claim 30 , comprising two or more secondary gears that each have a different number of gear teeth. 
     
     
         38 . A method for changing secondary gears as used with drive system for a camera lens, the method comprising the steps of:
 selecting a secondary gear having a desired number of gear teeth for engaging a ring gear of the camera lens; and   attaching the secondary gear to an adaptor of the drive system by a snap fit mechanism, wherein adaptor is attached to a host gear of the drive system, wherein the host gear is engaged to be rotated by a drive gear of the drive system, and wherein the snap fit mechanism comprises one or more retaining elements of one of the adaptor or secondary gear that are configured to engage and attach with a surface feature of the other of the adaptor or secondary gear so that he secondary gear rotates in unison with the adaptor and host gear.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , comprising removing the secondary gear from the adaptor by unsnapping the snap fit mechanism. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the snap fit mechanism is configured to provide attachment and detachment by axially combining together and axially separating the adaptor and secondary gear relative to one another.